State Government Lowers Tuition Fees for Private Engineering Colleges, Leading to Legal Battle

State government gave a shock treatment for many prominent private engineering colleges by fixing up a tuition fee much below their expectations for the next three academic years. The fee was slashed from 4000 to Rs 12,000 to even the second rung institutions. At the same time, it sent sweet news for more than 460 smaller institutes by fixing a fee from which they can thrive without any hitch. The much-awaited GO on fixation of fee structure was issued on Saturday thus paving the way for holding the counseling under convener quota for admissions in first B Tech courses.

Contrary to expectations, only two institutions viz Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) and Vasavi Engineering college of Hyderabad were fixed a fee above Rs 1 lakh. While CBIT is allowed to collect Rs 113300, which is just Rs 8000 more than lost year, the Vasavi college can get a fee of Rs 109300. VNR Vignan Jyothy stood at third with a fee of Rs 97500 Srinidhi and Gokaraju Rangaraju have suffered a setbackk with a meager structure of Rs 79,900 and Rs 75200/ respectively. MGIT, Mufakam Jha, Narayanamma, GMR- Rajam crossed Rs 80,000/ mark.

As informed earlier, the AFRC fixed a fee of Rs 30,000 for 195 colleges, which is Rs 5,000 less than the amount they have got last year. This hard decision, taken for the first time in the history of fee fixation, was a result of non-compliance of all these colleges in furnishing their expenditure data to the committee. They have been directed to submit their details latest by September 30. As many as 239 colleges were allowed to continue the same fee structure of last year i.e. Rs 35,000/. In fact, the colleges themselves have sought for this and their request was acceded to.

It was utter disheartenment for the elite colleges which have immediately declared to go to court against the GO. "We will certainly file a case as the fee structure is far below our proposals" eight key members of Consortium of Private professional Engineering College Managements (C0PPECOM) told The Hans India. 'Parents have been paying more than 40-50000 for LKG-UKG studies whereas engineering study is available for just Rs 30,000/. Is it not ridiculous?' they asked.

"Nobody is happy" By slashing the fee structure to such an unexpected level, government has opened up a Pandora box and more than fifty percent of the colleges will knock the doors of the court" KVK Rao, General Secretary of the Consortium told The Hans India. Observers see there could be a protracted legal battle again. This time, there would be between the colleges and also between the colleges and the managements, they point out. while some colleges may bring parallel with other institutions having same infrastructure and faculty payments, top and second rung colleges may confront with the government.

It appears that government did not yield to pressure tactics from the engineering college managements. "Heavy lobbying by them did not work. Both the AFRC and the government went ahead with their plan and fixed the structure relying mostly on the Task Force reports. If this fee structure is implemented for the next three academic years i.e. up to 2015-16 without any hitch, the reimbursement burden will be somewhat mitigated substantially, according to the officials.

Government has also made it clear that the fee structure was based on the details uploaded by the institutions on line and subject to further physical verification. "If it is found that any of the data given by the institutions is not correct, the fee will be revised at a later date and these facts will be informed to the concerned University and the All India Council for Technical Education for taking necessary action in accordance with law" it warned.